With Manohar Parrikar in Delhi hospital, Congress stakes claim to form government in Goa

With chief minister Manohar Parrikar in New Delhi for treatment at the capital’s AIIMS hospital and the ruling BJP in a huddle over the way forward, the Congress has staked claim to form government in Goa as the single largest party. It has urged Governor Mridula Sinha to dismiss the BJP-led government arguing that it is “not functioning.” The BJP has however asserted that its government is stable and that no demand has been made for change in leadership. Senior BJP leader Ram Lal asserted that the BJP allies have reiterated their support to the BJP. “Nothing is going to happen. The Government is strong and has the full majority, There are no problems between the government (BJP) and the allies,” BJP national secretary Ram Lal said after he concluded his two days of meetings and left for the airport. “The alliance partners have said that the government needs to continue and that they are with the BJP,” he added. Ram Lal and two other central leaders were dispatched to Goa by BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday, a day after Manohar Parrikar flew to Delhi. He has been suffering from a pancreatic ailment for several months. “The government should be dismissed and we should be given an opportunity,” Congressman and Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar said today, adding that his party delivered two letters, signed by all 16 of its MLAs at Goa’s Raj Bhawan, but were unable to meet the Governor. They will attempt to meet her again tomorrow, he said Kavlekar said the Congress should have been invited to form government in the first place. “We are the single largest party and we had requested that we should have been invited to form a government as a single largest party. We were not,” he said. In assembly elections last year, the Congress emerged as the largest party in a hung house, but the BJP, which came second swiftly moved to secure alliances with regional parties to make up the numbers and stake claim to form government. The BJP has 14 MLAs, the Congress which had won 17 now has 16 in the 40-member Goa assembly. A party or alliance needs 21 for majority. The BJP along with its allies - the Goa Forward Party (three), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (three) and Independents (three) - has 23 MLAs but the alliance is seen as hinged around Manohar Parrikar, who was pulled out of his role as the country’s defence minister to head back to his state as chief minister last year. The Nationalist Congress Party has one MLA. While all the BJP MLAs and coalition partner Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) have rooted for Parrikar continuing as Chief Minister, another alliance partner Goa Forward and three Independent MLAs had demanded a “permanent solution” to the ongoing leadership crisis. “All the allies have said they are with the government and will agree to the BJP’s decision. No one has placed a demand for change in leadership in front of me. The government is stable,” said Ram Lal, who held multiple meetings, said on Monday. Source: Hindustan Times